Some Sweets from my Sweetie for Valentines

Like many of you, we have been trying new recipes over the last year, and a few have really stuck with us, and are a regular part of the Chez Nez dessert menu—whether they be pumpkin muffins, cinnamon buns (a Sunday morning requirement), and especially for Valentine’s Day are these melt-in-your-mouth warm out-of-the-oven Peanut Butter Blossoms.

I can’t take credit for making any of these, my sweet valentine Colleen is the baker in the house, and the boys and I fight over the last one of anything she makes!

Normally Colleen uses kisses, but the heart-shaped chocolates were the call for today! Milk or dark chocolate, they melt a little when pressed into the warm cookies. Yum!

From Scratch Cinnamon Buns, with chopped Pecans rolled in.

There is nothing like the smell of warm pumpkin muffins coming out of the oven!

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Firefly Gastropub & Catering Co.

Exited to be working on another collaboration with Great Sky Media shooting for Firefly Gastropub and Catering in Lenox, MA. Looking forward to sharing their new site when it’s done, and Joe is getting some great video clips. It’s a fantastic place to check out if you are in the area this summer.

Battenkill Wholesome Foods

I just finished up some fresh shots for the folks at Battenkill Wholesome Foods. They make some really tasty brittle bars, crunch, as well as cookies. The newest to the line of products is a very yummy cereal in either Coconut/Apricot or Apple/Raisin. I am always munching away when I do these shoots, and it was all I could do to not eat the apple sauce/brittle muffin recipe while it was on set. Here are a few shots using a mix of natural and strobe lighting. Look for these products in local Bennington area stores as well as their website—http://battenkillbrittle.com

Menu Shoot at Gringo Jacks—Manchester, Vermont

I wanted to share a few mouth-watering shots from the Gringo Jack’s shoot. Jack and his crew pulled out all the stops, and I have to say if you have never tried Gringo Jack’s do yourself a favor and go!

Klara’s on set

I often take photos of my sets to record how they were arranged in case I need to repeat the look later, I even capture the power settings on the back of the light heads and keep them in a folder (sticky notes can get lost). This was one of the shots in the studio from the Klara’s Gourmet Cookies shoot to show their new packaging. The Coconut Macaroons are one of my favorites BTW, yum. You can check out all of their products here: https://klarasgourmet.com

 

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I put together a print ad for Vermont Magazine yesterday. We have a strong entrepreneurial spirit in this state, and I enjoy the collaboration with small businesses who need to put their products in the best light possible. A shout out to Battenkill Brittle, Vermont Moonlight Cookies, Gringo Jacks, Jamtastic, and Benjamin’s Sandwiches.

Sheraton Parsippany

I wanted to share a few pics from a recent shoot in New Jersey at the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel. They have just renovated their restaurant, Amuse, and the food and hospitality is fantastic. I highly recommend staying there if you are in the area or book a group if you have a corporate meeting coming up.

 

 

Jamtastic!

Very happy to spread the Jam with my friends Ross and Danine of Jamtastic, for their new Website http://www.jamtasticjam.com.

Catering is Key

Aside from the ceremony, the dress, ring, venue, and guests—the food at a wedding is key to a great night. My friends at Apogee Catering excel at cranking out loads of mouth-watering tidbits and delicious entrees for large and small events alike. These are a few of my favorites from last weekend’s wedding at Stoneover Farm in Lenox, MA. Having the open firewood charcoal pit to cook on a cool autumn night on only made it better.

Herb-rubbed Roasted Pork Loin, almost ready for the carving station

Prosciutto, sopresatta, country paté, Brie, herbed-goat cheese, and aged cheddar, with marinated vegetables, mixed nuts and sun-dried fruits, artisanal crackers…in other words nom noms

Vodka, ginger beer, fresh squeezed lime.

Crudite “Bentos” (Fresh veg with feta-herb dip and roasted red pepper aioli)

Sundried tomato-Asiago Arancini (crispy-creamy risotto balls)

Bruschetta with Rosemary, Roasted Plum tomatoes, Ricotta and Prosciutto

Beef Carpaccio on Edible Asian Spoons (with a dollop of horseradish cream)

Mini Stuffed Peppers (with ground Angus beef, rice, caramelized onions, garlic, and marinara sauce)

Toasting the pita bread before it’s cut up for the above mentioned nom noms

Not sure if these were shrimp or small lobsters

Chef Eric doing what he does so well

The Apogee team putting the finishing touches on the tables inside the beautiful barn at Stonover Farm

Fresh tomato and mozzarella sprinkled with chopped basil

Alfredo sauce is always good.

Putting the finishing herbs on penne with sausage and peppers

Bacon and Scallion Smashed Potatoes

Grilled Vegetable Platters, Caesar salad, fresh tomato basil and mozzarella, fresh mini corn muffins and artisan rolls.

Eggplant Rollatini (with ricotta, mozzarella, Provolone and Campari tomato sauce.

Oh, and the Herb-rubbed Roasted Pork Loin. Yum…

A Slice of Heaven

Of all the photo shoots I do throughout the year for clients, when I get a call from a restaurant owner to come shoot their food and their restaurant I get excited. It’s really the thing I enjoy doing the most.

These are some of my favorites for a series of shoots I did for Baba Louie’s. The owners, Eileen and Paul Masiero just get it, and like any successful restauranteurs they start with fresh ingredients, and in my humble opinion make the best pizza in the area. They have set up a bakery which pre-bakes the sourdough crusts fresh everyday for the 3 area restaurants, as well as bread for the sandwiches and dinner rolls. I am a sucker for great pizza and have been striving to bake the perfect pizza at home, but I can’t hold a candle to what Baba Louie’s is doing. The crust is perfect, thin and crispy and the toppings are loaded thick with fresh toppings and cooked with a hot wood-fired oven. The sandwiches, salads, and pasta specials are just as good, but the pizza menu is all I look at when I’m there. My favorite is the “Isabella” with roasted sweet potatoes, roasted parsnips, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, fresh mozzarella and shaved fennel, drizzled with reduced balsamic vinegar and parmesan. It’s simply a slice of heaven.

If a client tells me their customers love the food photos on their website and had to come in no matter the weather outside on a dark night, then I know I’ve done my job. And I love my job.